4th Attempt 4 forums later I still dont know what to do please help times ticking :(

[VerdantGreen]

Thanks man. Also not good to have a long ass stem tho thatll cause weak plants too which was my reason for burying the stem a little bit. They stretched early on.

You can just about get away with this when they are small seedlings but once they are established plants you need to retain the same soil level when you repot and not pile it on top - it is bad for the roots and may cause the stem to rot. Stake the stem if it is long and can't support the plants.

 

[Jwhat201]

You can just about get away with this when they are small seedlings but once they are established plants you need to retain the same soil level when you repot and not pile it on top - it is bad for the roots and may cause the stem to rot. Stake the stem if it is long and can't support the plants.

Thanks for this info guys I've never heard this before I've always been told to bury the stem as much as I can if it's stretched. Idk if I'll be staking either though, that seems like very delicate sketchy work in itself haha, I'm afraid of getting shaky or whatever and accidentally knocking them over lol. But something to think about! I plan to start using potassium silicate too, to make them stronger, but that probably won't be this grow cause I need ph supplies first before I start using that

 

[goingrey]

Yeah sometimes you need to reclaim that height. And in those cases slowed down growth might not be so bad. Mold is never good of course. @Creeperpark What do you think about "buried" plants if they're watered from the bottom. Also how come roots grow out of the buried stalk if burying is no good, don't the plants know what's good for them?

 

[Creeperpark]

Thanks man. Also not good to have a long ass stem tho thatll cause weak plants too which was my reason for burying the stem a little bit. They stretched early on.

In most cases, a long lanky stem is the result of low light conditions or genetics. Burying a plant that has a woody stem too deep is a "horticulture error" and that goes for any plant that is planted in a container. If you want to have the best results, always keep the root flair exposed enough for gas exchange. Burying a plant too deep is a common error with most growers.

Low light and genetics are the main reasons for long stems. Planting deep in the container is not the solution and will hurt the plant in the long run.
Two ways to work with long stems, one is to give the plant a lot of light and the other is to top the plant early and or bend the tops down with a wire tie.

Note; when tying a top or bending a stem the plant must be well hydrated or it will break. I always bend the tops with a wire tie the next morning after a good watering.

 

[VerdantGreen]

Yeah sometimes you need to reclaim that height. And in those cases slowed down growth might not be so bad. Mold is never good of course. @Creeperpark What do you think about "buried" plants if they're watered from the bottom. Also how come roots grow out of the buried stalk if burying is no good, don't the plants know what's good for them?

reclaim height by topping, training or LST. yes you may 'get away' with planting the rootball more deeply but you also risk the stem rotting or starving the roots of oxygen.. that junction between roots and air is important and you need to retain it, especially with established plants (as i said above the only time i might do it is with a small seedling that has stretched but not formed its proper root system yet)
I am a gardener by trade, and whilst there are exceptions, (tomato, clematis) the advice for transplanting is to do so at the same depth or to have the rootball slightly above the new soil line...

Trees, shrubs and perennials are all often planted too deep or not deep enough | Alaster Anderson - The Planting Experts | Plant Advice, Installation & Maintenance

When called in to rescue newly planted gardens blighted by plant failure and poor plant health, one culprit is surprisingly common - inappropriate soil depth.

www.alasteranderson.com

 

[goingrey]

reclaim height by topping, training or LST. yes you may 'get away' with planting the rootball more deeply but you also risk the stem rotting or starving the roots of oxygen.. that junction between roots and air is important and you need to retain it, especially with established plants (as i said above the only time i might do it is with a small seedling that has stretched but not formed its proper root system yet)
I am a gardener by trade, and whilst there are exceptions, (tomato, clematis) the advice for transplanting is to do so at the same depth or to have the rootball slightly above the new soil line...

Trees, shrubs and perennials are all often planted too deep or not deep enough | Alaster Anderson - The Planting Experts | Plant Advice, Installation & Maintenance

When called in to rescue newly planted gardens blighted by plant failure and poor plant health, one culprit is surprisingly common - inappropriate soil depth.

www.alasteranderson.com

I do it all including the topping and training. And have been getting away with it in the sense of not having a stalk rot on me. But would some plants have been more healthy otherwise, that's difficult to evaluate.

If it is the best practice for tomatoes surely it can also be used with good success with cannabis that behaves the same way (before the stalks get woody). Tiny seedlings sure but even with larger plants. Maybe the best success would be going through many container sizes, usually I have just used two or three though. Or then only filling the container partly at first and then filling it up as the plant grows, I think some people do that, then you just need a lot of surface area from the start..

 

[Creeperpark]

Yeah sometimes you need to reclaim that height. And in those cases slowed down growth might not be so bad. Mold is never good of course. @Creeperpark What do you think about "buried" plants if they're watered from the bottom. Also how come roots grow out of the buried stalk if burying is no good, don't the plants know what's good for them?

Bottom watering can be tricky depending on the substrate and the size of the container. If a plant sets in water too long it will cause serious problems. The oxygen exchange is what matters, and if a plant is planted too deep it will cut off some of the oxygen when watered. Any disruption of root processing gases will lead to hypoxia.

There are two main categories of roots, "Monocot and Dicot". Monocots are fibrous and Dicot is a tap root. Cannabis is a Dicot, but when the stems are rooted the roots are Monocot roots. Cannabis is a one-season annual plant with a tap root and it's very unlikely there's enough time in a season to grow fibrous above the tap root when planted too deep like you see with trees or shrubs. .

 

[Creeperpark]

Hypoxia is the reason to not plant the plant too deep in the container. What is hypoxia?

Hypoxia arises due to the insufficient availability of oxygen, and is sensed by plants, which adapt their growth and metabolism accordingly. Plant hypoxia can occur as a result of excessive rain and soil waterlogging, thus constraining plant growth. Google

Soil lacking in oxygen drains poorly and produces bare plants with discolored leaves. Plant growth can slow and even stop if the plant roots are not receiving enough oxygen. Google

 

[VerdantGreen]

I do it all including the topping and training. And have been getting away with it in the sense of not having a stalk rot on me. But would some plants have been more healthy otherwise, that's difficult to evaluate.

If it is the best practice for tomatoes surely it can also be used with good success with cannabis that behaves the same way (before the stalks get woody). Tiny seedlings sure but even with larger plants. Maybe the best success would be going through many container sizes, usually I have just used two or three though. Or then only filling the container partly at first and then filling it up as the plant grows, I think some people do that, then you just need a lot of surface area from the start..

Tomatoes are in the nightshade family and i would disagree that it 'behaves in the same way'... except in a very generalized sense.
When i repot i want the new soil volume under and round the rootball so the roots can grow down into it. by piling on top you are imo reducing the usefulness of the new soil to the plant... as well as risking the other problems outlined above. I grow in extremely limited height cabinets and height is a big problem for me... and i use some pretty extreme methods to reduce it.. but i would never bury the rootball of an established plant.
There is a big difference between what you can get away with most of the time... and best practice.- but you get to choose how you grow!
VG

 

[goingrey]

Tomatoes are in the nightshade family and i would disagree that it 'behaves in the same way'... except in a very generalized sense.

What I meant was that they both grow roots from the stalk if the stalk is in the soil.

 

[VerdantGreen]

How to Successfully Repot a Cannabis Plant | Fast Buds

Repotting a weed plant is a delicate but often necessary procedure, but there are ways to do it safely without shocking your cannabis

2fast4buds.com

"CAN I REPOT CANNABIS DEEPER?
Repotting cannabis deeper is a great idea if you transplant a young seedling. The thing is that its stem still has very delicate skin which easily grows new roots if you bury the stem in the medium. But when the plant gets older and the surface of its stem becomes hard and rough, avoid burying it during a transplant. You’ll only risk various fungi infections, leading to damping-off and stem rot."

 

[f-e]

With a seedling, the bit stemming out of the ground is below the seed leaves. It's meant to transition out the ground. It's not the root as such. It expects to be under ground though, and will produce roots easily.

The idea of taking a root system and sticking it in so deep it can't breathe is interesting. With a solo cup that has no drainage, the risk is really quite real. As it is outdoors, or in sealed beds. I wonder if some of my outdoors are lost each year, through me sinking cutting blocks in the ground, deep enough to stop them just falling over. The odd one does just die.

Ultimately, I take cuttings, which is actual branch. This shows how very delicate sliced tissue doesn't generally get infected, but environmental health is a huge player in the success of getting a cutting to take, or watching it mush. Which is surely transferable knowledge.

 

[Creeperpark]

If plant roots get plenty of oxygen then the soil bacteria is getting plenty of nitrates since nitrogen makes up 78 percent of the air and only 21% of oxygen.